Just Once
by BuffyMyraRae
Summary: Just once she wished he would do something. Just once she wished she could not act so damn immature. Just once!


A/N this is a quick little idea I had some time ago. It is very much influenced by spikes song in once more with feeling. You might see a few lines! So those lines and the characters we all know ande love do not belong to me. Just saying.

**Just Once.**

Sarah laughed as hoggle yet again failed at scrabble. When a fox and a not so intelligent beast beat you, aggravation tends to happen.

Hoggle was good at navigating, but spelling wasn't his thing. In fact sarah was surprised to see Didimus so good at spelling, but he claimed it was from the letters he received daily from his family. Being on guard at the bog all the time he rarely got to see them. Sarah felt a little bad taking him from his post but he enjoys it so much she can't not invite him.

Ludo, sarah imagined, was getting outside help. Maybe the rocks knew how to spell, or maybe a fairy was whispering in his ear, either way sarah knew he had to have some help. It took a year for him to perfect picking up the pieces and not knocking the whole board over. He was surprisingly patient. But now with six years of practice he was almost graceful at it.

Yes.

Six years.

Sarah loved her friends, and on nights with storms, the ones like that night, she would call on the three for much needed company and destracting. With pestering from didimus scrabble was the game of choice.

Now, Sarah called on hoggle, didimus, and ludo when she could, or had time, which wasn't often.

At first she didn't notice the owl that sat on her tree every time she called on her friends, but after a year went by she started to notice, and when a few more years went by she grew tired of scrabble, wanted more adult things to do, her mind wondered to the owl outside her window. As time went by and the number of visits grew, so did the time the owl stayed past the three's leaving. She would never deny her friends the game they love to play, no, she loved the happiness it gave them.

Sarah glanced out her window to see if he was there, of course he was, and she smiled.

"Well its prolly' time we be gettin back" hoggle sighed.

The game lasted over two hours. Diddimus had talked everyones ear off.

"Ya. Ludo tired."

Sarah smiled "Ok, just don't do anything I wouldn't do while your there. I would love to see you guys again." Sarah recited, she said those words like she did everytime and they were being to feel old and fake. She mentally frowned, does she really have to repeat this every time? Maybe they needed a break, a longer break, or a new game. She turned her attention back on her friends. They all nodded.

"Good bye fair madden" didimus said as they just began to fade.

Waiting til they were gone for sure, Sarah sighed and walked over to her window and opened it. The owl quirked it's head to the side and flew to her windowsil.

"Come on in. I know its cold out there." Sarah turned to her vanity and sat down.

"You know, owls don't mind the cold" His voice sent chills down Sarah's spine. She glanced at him through the mirror, "You didnt have to come in." She picked up her brush abd went to work, a nervous habit, but it would calm her down. Jareth paused with a smirk.

"Why did you let me in?" He leaned forward from a relaxed stance against her wall.

"I have let you in before." Sarah replied her tone even. Jareth stared at her. She was correct she has opened her window quiet a few times in the past month.

"Sarah-"

She fought back the groan in her throat with some difficulty. When Jareth said her name, with all the weight it bore, she couldn't even think straight. She would kill to have him say it as he ran his fingers through her hair, down her sides-

Sarah snapped back to reality, and when she looked back at him she noticed he had said more then her name, perhapes a question even. Definitely a question with the look he was giving her.

Whoops. She sent him an apologetic look as she put down her brush and moved towards the dresser, "Sorry but I missed the last bit."

Jareth almost chuckled. "What on earth could you be thinking about to miss a question like that?" Sarah paused, thinking he would be mad for her ignoring his question, him being a king and all. He was being quite nice tonight. Far cry from her villain she made him to be.

"You know some would think you liked me from all the time you sit outside my window." Sarah smiled as she searched the drawers for something to wear to sleep.

Jareth scoft at her, "I must keep an eye on my inhabitants dear sarah. I can't have them running amuck outside if my kingdom." Sarah turned holding a bundle of clothes in her hand to see the goblin king leaning on her window sil staring at the ceiling. He wore something similar to what he wore in the cave, but a bit more casual, if you could consider anything he wore casual.

"Yes well, you staying here even after they leave, that's just making sure they don't come back?" Sarah asked teasingly.

Jareth lowered his head and looked at her. She was beautiful, she had grown in the six years and he could tell. School had her away during the winter but during the summers she was home; calling on her friends. She would only call on her friends twice, her birthday (usually the day after) and right before she went back to school. That was unless it stormed, which for Jareth, was easaly solvable.

"Sarah." She bit her lip and he almost lost control. How can a mortal send his control out of the window so quickly? She was special, this he knew.

Sarah's heart did a number of its own, but she shoved it down, determined not to fall for his charm. 'Too late for that Sarah' she mentally chastened.

"Turn! I need to change."

Jareth smirked and stood positioning himself so he could see her fully. "Now why should I do a thing like that?"

Sarah smiled "Because my kingdom is as great." Sarah couldnt miss the flash of wild anger that went threw Jareths eyes, but his control came back and she was left with cold anger as he pushed off the wall and stalked towards her.

"Jareth" she whispered as he advaced.

"You defeated my labyrinth many years ago, but you make it feel like it happened yesterday." His words were harsh but clipped. Sarah backed up and hit her dresser. Pain flaired in her back, but she squashed the feeling. Her fear, and something else she couldn't quite grasp at, was much more prevalent.

Jareth smirked as he put his hands on the dresser blocking her in. "So why do you let me in, when you defeated me, denied me so many years ago? Hmm?" His voice rolled over her skin and she let out an involuntary shudder. Was this seriously turning her on? Sarahs eyes grew wide at the thought but quickly narrowed. "I felt pitty for you. Sitting out there can't be fun."

Jareth snarled "Do not pitty me girl. I do not need your pitty."

He drew his face down to hers. Sarah tilted her chin up finding it hard to ignore his breath, and general closness to her. His lips were so close...

"I am not a girl." Jareth smirk returned at this as he drew his face back. Sarah let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. His eyes slipping down her body and hovering on her lips.

"No sarah. Your not." He rumbled. A heat grew in his eyes that was not there before and when his voice shifted lower it caused Sarah to want to shiver, this time she remained still, holding it inside.

"I think I know why you let me in." Jareth's voice was low and full. Sarahs brow raised in doubt. "Oh you do? I highly doubt that" Sarah mentally punched herself, she was baiting him. But to her surprise he didn't react in anger.

He nodded slowly and leaned his lips down to her ear. Was he serious? Did he know what he did to her? She jerked away surprised by the willingness so close. Didn't he hate her for winning? She tried to regain her footing.

"Well then enlighten me. All knowing Goblin King." The sarcasm was practically dripped from her words. Letting him know how he effected her would only lead to trouble and gods know what. It's a power she had on her, but hoped he had no clue.

Jareth bowed his head down and sighed "Your scared."

"Hardly."

"Do not lie to me!" His eyes flicked back up with anger, "Yes you are. I can tell what you want. I am not blind. You're ashamed of what you feel." A small smile formed on his lips, "You cant tell your 'friends', you know they wouldnt understand."

Was she really that easy to read, really? She bit on her tongue. Let's play stupid.

"What are you taking about?"

Jareth pushed away from the dresser and began to pase, obviously angry with her act.

"Keeping your thoughts and feelings inside wont make it go away." He stopped and looked her in the eyes with a look that both confused and excited Sarah "I can give you what you want"

'Oh shit' Sarah shook her head. "All you can give me is a head ache"

"Sarah. I see you every time you call on them, you know I am sitting out there, yet you change knowing I am still there. No effort to close your blinds or window. You take the clothes off-" his eyes grew wild looking away from Sarah "Slowly. Slowly and deliberately. Do you really expect me to be neutral to you?" Sarah blushed. How could she have forgotten she had done that? She did that with her window open none the less! No that night she called on her friends for one purpose. She had an itch she needed scratched and she had to know what he would do. She wanted his hands on her, him taking off her clothes... "You pervert! You were watching me?!"

"Oh really?" His tone was knowing.

"Sarah, I will not lie to you, and I do now know why you insist on lying to me." He paused "Being with you is... Difficult to say the least." Sarah who had been staring at her feet since her imagination went wild looked up at him. Her eyes were full of confusion. It was such an innocent look.

"Difficult how?" His eyes met hers with an intenity she wasnt she was ready to match.

"Sarah. Do you want me to touch you?"

The bluntness took sarah back.

"W-what kind if question is that?" Sarahs voice panicked, too much bluntness for her mind to catch up.

"An honest one, and I think I received my answer." He glared. "I suggest if you arent ready to play with fire dont let your window open to an owl you strip for."

Sarah gaped at him

"What?!" She paused to collect herself "I let you in to be nice."

He scoft "Let me stay outside in the peace. Let me sleep, I try and go to forget you, but you call on your friends calling me in turn." His tone was rising "I can see you grow tired if them. Let them live. Let me live. Let me take my love and burry it in my kingdom. I can forget you only a minute before I am forced to come back and relive my pain" Jareth was glaring dangers at her floor.

"Im-" Sarah paused. She didn't know what to say. She walked into this trap. "I am sorry. I didn't know that's how you felt. I should go to bed." Sarah shuffled past him, not daring to look in his eyes.

Jareth grabbed sarah and turned her towards him.

"You know you have a willing slave." His eyes burned "but you can handle the thought that you might like that."

Sarah almost looked up, but her eyes widdened.

"Look at you!" He spat " you can't even look at me." He dropped her arm and stalked to the window.

Sarah looked up and felt a strange since of deqavu as he glanced back

"Just because you call them doesn't make it real."


End file.
